Mike Wolanin | The Republic Samantha Stigdon, left, and Jenni Carr help distribute school supplies for the Bartholomew County School Supply Assistance Program at the Columbus Firemen’s Cheer Fund Building in Columbus, Ind., Thursday, July 31, 2025.
More than 2,000 families from the Bartholomew County area received backpacks with school supplies and information for their K-12 students at the Bartholomew County School Supplies Assistance Program pickup on Thursday.
The annual fundraising and event is overseen by committee chair, Alicia Monroe. She and other committee members purchase school supplies throughout the year, including backpacks, folders, binders and markers.
They packed backpacks according to gender and grade level in accordance with Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. school supplies lists for each grade level. Backpacks were then handed out throughout the day by a rotating group of 24 volunteers from Columbus businesses and nonprofits.
Erik Furnish, a financial representative with Greater Horizons Financial Group, referenced the company’s slogan, “to uplift and serve.” Six other employees joined him from the company to volunteer.
“Education is so important, it’s great to be able to get out of the office and see the community we serve,” he said. “We’re always trying to find ways to give back to the community, even if it’s just our time.”
Kirin Sandusky, administrative assistant at BCSC, oversees the supply lists for secondary education while Heather Ellis, administrative assistant at BCSC, oversees lists for elementary. Secondary students tend to need fewer supplies because assignments are more online-based, Sandusky said, while elementary students are more in need of arts supplies such as markers and crayons.
“BCSC benefits largely from this, just having students who are prepared for the school year,” Sandusky said. “We just want to take a little pressure off of parents and families.”
To make the event happen, the committee must raise around $45,000 annually. This year has been more difficult than most, Monroe said, because the economy is changing.
She recognizes that families can usually get by with providing for one child, but having more than one can make things difficult. At $35 per bag of supplies, families are facing expenses of $75 or more if they’re sending more than one child to school. These expenses do not include haircuts, clothes or shoes — extra things that students might need to start off the school year.
“Just because families can’t afford it, it doesn’t mean that they should have less than,” Monroe said. “If we can focus on this one little thing for them, to make their school year better, it’s all worth it.”
Beginning last year, every family that comes through the line is also given a little red packet filled with information about social services. This includes information about everything from tutoring sessions to free vaccinations or how to get high-speed internet. Every flyer in the packet comes from a community non-profit that wants to help students reach their full potential, said United Way Communications and Marketing Director Magen Pillar.
Columbus resident Deborah Ott cares for her three grandchildren and sends them to BCSC schools. At varying ages, it’s difficult to buy supplies and clothes for all of them, she said.
“I need anything I can get help with, when I have to get shoes, clothes and school supplies for three kids,” Ott said. “This makes all the difference in the world.”
